Understanding
by sour gummies
Summary: The Chosen Children's earliest days in the Digital World...as seen through the eyes of their seven partners. Even friendships ordained by destiny aren't easy. Canon; drabble collection.


"Are you sure about this, Taich—_mmmhh!_" Agumon tried asking, but a cookie shoved into his mouth cut him off.

Taichi grinned cheekily. "Of course, Agumon!" he said. "You saw what happened with Shellmon—you need to be ready to evolve right away, in case another digimon attacks!"

Agumon chewed and swallowed with some difficulty. "But _we_ can find our own food, Taichi," he said, scratching his head uncertainly with a claw. "What will you humans do when your food runs out?"

Taichi huffed. "Worry about that _later_," he said impatiently, stuffing Agumon's mouth again to shut him up.

—

The night after Piyomon evolved to save Sora, the group camped outside Pyocomon Village, the huts being too small for humans. Between the hike across the desert and Meramon's attack, the children were exhausted, humans and digimon alike. Drained, but pleased, Piyomon nestled against Sora to sleep, half-expecting to be shoved away.

Instead, Sora hugged her tightly.

"You scared me today, Piyomon," Sora murmured, sounding pained.

"I was scary?" Piyomon asked, hurt.

"No, not that!" Sora exclaimed. "When Meramon...and you..."

Piyomon understood. "Sora~" she interrupted, snuggling close. "You made me strong, Sora! I can protect us now."

—

Shortly after the fight with Seadramon, the sun rose, marking the humans' second day in the Digital World. Gabumon's eyes drooped, lulled by Yamato's harmonica song. Takeru and Patamon slept soundly beside them. The other children had long since passed out in a huddle across the bank.

Not wanting to miss any music, Gabumon decided conversation might keep him awake. "Why are we over here by ourselves?" he asked, yawning. "Isn't it safer with everyone?"

Yamato paused, then glanced down at Takeru.

"We don't need them, Gabumon," the boy said finally; fiercely, quietly protective. "Only us."

—

The laptop died immediately after they left the factory. Koushiro narrowly managed to wrest it away from Taichi before he smacked it, but then they were distracted by the sewers, then Toy Town. It was much later before Koushiro opened his computer again, Tentomon curiously watching.

"That program, from before..." Koushiro mused, typing futilely into a dark screen. "It would be useful, triggering evolution _before_ the danger was overwhelming."

"Oh?" Tentomon asked, puzzled. "But, Koushiro-han—didn't the program fail, too, until Andromon attacked? Before that, I just got hot."

Koushiro blinked. "I never thought of that," he admitted.

—

After Mimi and the other humans arrived, they did a lot of traveling in search of clues about the world they had come from. Palmon thought it was exciting, visiting new places, but she felt bad, too, knowing Mimi wasn't good at walking like the others.

"Don't be sad," Palmon said encouragingly, patting Mimi's leg when she sank down onto the path in exhaustion...again.

"I'm tired," Mimi whimpered.

"We're almost out of the forest shade!" Palmon beamed. "After that, you can absorb the sunlight to make energy, like me!"

Mimi only sobbed in response.

—

"Patamon, how come you sit on my head like that, if you can fly?" Takeru complained, dragging his feet through the desert sand behind the others.

Atop his hat, Patamon flapped his small wings in alarm. "I can't fly as fast as you walk, Takeru!"

"But why do I have to carry _you_ all the time?" Takeru demanded, faintly whining. "Why can't you carry me? Or, we could switch sometimes?"

"I can't fly holding you, Takeru!" Patamon exclaimed.

"Well, what if you evolved? Like Gabumon?"

"I don't know, Takeru," Patamon mumbled, wings drooping shamefully. "Maybe then."

—

Gomamon didn't understand Jyou, those early days, but he tried.

Jyou was _stubborn_. He acted timid and frightened, fretting constantly, but then got upset over the slightest jokes. He and Gomamon quarreled more than all the other digimon and their humans combined. Annoyingly, Jyou _never_ admitted to needing help...even climbing Infinity Mountain!

There, at the peak, Jyou had shocked everyone: he leapt out onto Unimon's back, pulling the gear himself.

And Gomamon screamed his name, heart stopping, mind screeching—___Damn you,_ Jyou! Just what do I have to **do**, before you finally trust me to **help** **you?  
**


End file.
